North Adams, MA – Part stand-up comedy, part lecture, Nerd Nite is a wacky combination of the entertaining and the educational… with beer! Based on the philosophy that learning is endlessly more fun when it happens around a shared pitcher of beer, Nerd Nite visits North Adams up in MASS MoCA’s Club B-10 on Saturday, October 13, at 8 PM. Audiences around the globe – from Amsterdam to Liberia to Germany – have been enjoying this Boston-born phenomenon since 2003.

The hilarity of Nerd Nite currently takes place in over 50 cities across the globe. During the event, the Nerds give funny-yet-smart presentations, each about 20 minutes in length.

Simpson Science

These informative lectures cover topics across all disciplines – such as math feuds, the science of the Simpsons, or the geneology of Godzilla – while the audience drinks along. And a night with the Nerds doesn’t stop there: bands, acrobats, trivia, and other shenanigans often make their way into the mix. The perfect cocktail of witty and informative, the Nerds get audiences laughing and learning with the very same sentence.

Nerd Nite at MASS MoCA begins with a presentation about mumblecore, the collection of American independent films produced in the early 2000s and characterized by low budget production values and amateur actors. Mumblecore: The Film Movement that Didn’t Roar is a Nerd Nite must-see, as the homegrown indie film movement gives the Nerds much to muse about. The presentations continue with Nerds & Whey: how the controlled spoilage of milk begets the world’s tastiest cheeses, which explains acidification, coagulation, and every cheese-related process in between. The Nerds wrap up the night with Hey, Where’s My Robot Girlfriend? The Singularity, Sperm Bots and the Future of Sexual Technology, during which the Nerds explain how hybrids of sex and technology are flourishing in contemporary culture.

“Nerd Nite continues to walk a fine line between that feel of professional polish, and an anything-goes atmosphere… that bit of tightrope walking is what continues to keep people coming back for more.” -nerd-ny.com

Slightly more informal than a TED Talk, and with slightly more alcohol, Nerd Nite is a unique event not to be missed. Nobody’s too cool for these Nerds, who are able to make even the most academic subject matter humorous. Boston.com boasts that Nerd Nite is a “relaxed, quirky alternative to the typical bar scene.” The Washington Post calls it “a huge hit,” and even goes so far as to recommend that the dictionary defining nerds as unpopular weirdos reconsider: nerds are now, most definitely, in.

Nerd Nite will be presented “Up in the Club” at MASS MoCA. Club B-10, located on the third floor of the museum, will be home to several artists across different genres this season. The venue is an intimate, casual spot which features hip, emerging artists. Dinner and snacks from Lickety Split Café and drinks from the MASS MoCA bar are available before and during the performance.

Nerd Nite takes the stage on Saturday, October 13, at 8 PM. Tickets are $14 in advance, $18 on the day of the show. Tickets for students are $10. MASS MoCA members receive a 10% discount. Tickets are available through the MASS MoCA Box Office, located off Marshall Street in North Adams, from 11 AM until 5 PM (closed Tuesdays). Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 413.662.2111 during Box Office hours or purchased online at www.massmoca.org.